Hamas's New Army of Children

If Hamas has the resources to fund and arm a new "Liberation Army" consisting of 17,000 fighters, why does it continue to demand that the international community allocate billions of dollars for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip?

Hamas has turned the Gaza Strip into a huge training camp for jihadis and militiamen affiliated not only with it, but also with the Islamic State.

Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar declared that some of the boys would be recruited to fire mortars and rockets at Israel. And of course, he reiterated Hamas's true goal, namely the destruction of Israel. When Hamas talks about "liberation," it means it wants to wipe Israel off the face of the earth and replace it with an Islamic state.

Obviously, the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, do not see Hamas's cynical exploitation and abuse of Palestinian children as a war crime.

If and when the International Criminal Court convenes to consider "war crimes" in the Middle East, the first thing the judges should consider is how Hamas sent thousands of Palestinian teenagers to their deaths, and, as this was happening, how Abbas and the Palestinian Authority looked the other way.

For the past several months, Hamas leaders have been complaining that they do not have enough money to rebuild the Gaza Strip in the aftermath of the last war with Israel.

However, it appears that Hamas does have enough funds to train, arm and indoctrinate thousands of young Palestinian men and boys.

While thousands of Palestinian families who lost their houses during the war continue to live in public shelters throughout the Gaza Strip, Hamas recently established 18 camps for military training.

The Hamas military training camps, under the motto "Vanguards of Liberation," have attracted some 17,000 Palestinian males aged 15-21. The young recruits were trained how to use various types of weapons, including pistols, rifles and mortars. They were also "educated" about the need to eliminate Israel and "restore Palestinian rights."

Samir Abu Aitah, a 15-year-old boy who joined the Hamas-run militia, said: "I now feel very happy because they trained me how to use weapons so that I could fight against the soldiers of the occupation. The Jews have killed thousands of innocent people and that's why I decided to join the path of jihad (holy war) and fight against them with weapons. We want to expel the Jews from our occupied country."

Another 15-year-old boy, Mahmoud al-Kurd, said he really enjoyed being trained with weapons at Hamas's camps. "Our enemy understands only one language – the language of swords."

Al-Kurd's friend, Ismail Elayan, who is also 15, told reporters who visited the training camps: "I decided to join the camp because this will pave the way for liberating all of our country. This is our major goal."

Mohamed al-Najjar, 16, said he joined the training camps because he "loves martyrdom." He added: "I want to pursue the path of resistance until I'm martyred."

Hamas later held a "graduation ceremony" for the young recruits who are expected to serve in its future "Liberation Army." And when Hamas talks about "liberation," it means it wants to wipe Israel off the face of the earth and replace it with an Islamic state.

Young Palestinians at one of Hamas's 18 new "Vanguards of Liberation" military training camps in Gaza sport face-paint symbolizng of the map of Palestine from the river to the sea, January 2015. (Image source: Paltimes)

Hamas is even boasting that the young Palestinians who have just been brainwashed and trained on weapons will participate in the next war with Israel.

Young Palestinians aim assault rifles at one of Hamas's 18 new "Vanguards of Liberation" military training camps in Gaza, in January 2015. (Image source: Paltimes)

Speaking at one of the graduation ceremonies, Hamas co-founder and senior official Mahmoud Zahar declared that some of the boys would be recruited to fire mortars and rockets at Israel. And, of course, he reiterated Hamas's true goal, namely the destruction of Israel.

"These young men will soon be standing behind the rockets, which they will fire at every inch of Palestine until it is completely liberated," Zahar said. "These boys will liberate Palestine and the Aqsa Mosque. Hamas will continue to support the training camps and provide them with as much funds and weapons as they need. This will continue until we achieve our goal -- the liberation of Palestine."

So Zahar is actually admitting that Hamas is not facing a financial crisis, as it has no problem funding any program designed to poison the hearts and minds of Palestinian youths. Nor does Hamas have any problem supplying the youths with weapons, according to the Hamas leader.

Senior Hamas officials, including the head of Hamas in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh (center), attend a graduation ceremony at one of Hamas's 18 new "Vanguards of Liberation" military training camps in Gaza, in January 2015. (Image source: Paltimes)

If Hamas has the resources to fund and arm a new "Liberation Army" consisting of 17,000 fighters, why does it continue to demand that the international community allocate billions of dollars for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip? The money that was spent on the "Vanguards of Liberation" training camps could have solved the problems facing thousands of Palestinian families who lost their homes during last summer's war (Operation Protective Edge).

But Hamas, which is first and foremost responsible for the tragedy of these families, is not interested in taking any part in the efforts to rebuild destroyed homes. Instead, Hamas seems to be more determined than ever to continue raising new generations of Palestinians on jihad and hatred.

Hamas has turned the Gaza Strip into a huge training camp for jihadis and militiamen affiliated not only with it, but also with the Islamic State. By forming a new army that consists mostly of teenagers, Hamas is committing a crime against Palestinians in general and young people in particular.

This is all happening at a time when the Palestinian Authority [PA] in the West Bank continues with its threats to file "war crimes" charges against Israel. Obviously, the PA and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, do not see Hamas's cynical exploitation and abuse of Palestinian children as a war crime.

Hamas has made it clear that it plans to send the teenagers to launch rockets and mortars at Israel, with the hope that they would achieve "martyrdom." But this does not seem to bother Abbas or the Palestinian Authority, or even the international community.

If and when the International Criminal Court convenes to consider "war crimes" in the Middle East, the first thing the judges should look into is how Hamas sent thousands of Palestinian teenagers to their deaths and, as that was happening, how Abbas and the Palestinian Authority looked the other way.

Comment on this item

10 Reader Comments

Dalia Gabay • Feb 19, 2015 at 03:47

I would be very, very interested to hear what John Hilary, Director of the UK based charity 'War on Want' that tirelessly raise funds from the unsuspecting British public, for 'justice in Palestine' - and the European organisers of Red Hand Day who campaign against 'child soldiers' (and claim Israel is as guilty of this practice as Hamas and Hezbollah in the "occupied territories"!) have to say about this. Are they satisfied with how their donations to Hamas controlled Gaza are being used?

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pongidae rex • Feb 18, 2015 at 17:30

The United Nations 'refugee relief' agency is directly complicit in funding Hamas' cyclic wars against Israel. The UN has for nearly 60 years provided blank-check funding to support the openly stated HAMAS weaponization of procreation via the highest birthrates on the planet. The UNRWA remains complicit in enabling HAMAS to weaponize children to wage a 'children's war' against Israel by continuously providing funds for 'humanitarian use'. Without these funds, HAMAS would be bankrupt. Expect the next HAMAS war against Israel to be fought by young children, and funded by UNRWA, as this would fit their propaganda objectives that show photos of dead children to be particularly effective; especially in Europe. HAMAS understands that in propaganda lies its only hope of victory. So does the Islamic wing of the UN.

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Paul Cerar • Feb 18, 2015 at 13:25

In other words, this one branch of the Palestinian terrorist dictatorship, with its training ground for armed juveniles, has more combat troops than the entire Canadian Armed Forces!

I mistakenly thought the government of Canada was - wrongfully! - donating hundreds of millions of dollars to the dictatorship of Palestine, as "foreign aid". Now I realize it is protection money!

Paul CerarToronto, Canada

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MooseThomasazi • Feb 18, 2015 at 12:02

Hamas members are hypocrites and liars. They want money for military reasons - not to rebuild Gaza. Stop sending money that should be used for Palestinian causes. Hiding behind youth, women and senior citizens is pathetic.

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Terence Curry MooseThomasazi • Feb 19, 2015 at 16:01

It is beyond all reason that European parliaments cannot see what Hamas is up to. They don't even trouble to deny it any more. The destruction of Israel is the goal. For that they have plenty of money, but for rebuilding their country they plead poverty an are apparently getting away with it.

This leaves only two possibilities: either our leaders have been completely fooled as to Hamas' intentions, or they are as anti-Semitic as Hamas. Either way, they are not fit for the purpose of running a country. Ruining it possibly. If they are so keen to help the Palestinians, let them go to the Gaza Strip and see for themselves that Hamas is no more capable of running a country than they are.

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dsiminiuk • Feb 18, 2015 at 09:31

Let's just stop calling them "Palestinians". There is no such thing. There might have been long ago but that people were comprised of Jews and Arabs living in what was divided into Israel and Jordan. Journalists keep giving these terrorists a platform to speak from every time the term is used without question. They have no right to that name.

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Mary Cheah • Feb 18, 2015 at 08:20

Most words are totally inadequate to describe this scenario. But HATRED and FEAR go hand in hand. This is what they are perpetually teaching their children generation to generation. When all they need to do to fix their lives is to replace Fear and Hatred with Love and Courage. Courage to get along with their neighbors, and Love for all of Humanity. Then that is what will be returned to them tenfold.

What the wealthy of this world have, Hamas and Fatah and the Palestinians can also have. All they need to get it is to learn to LOVE their neighbors. And knowing they have all come from the children of Abraham, they would be loving themselves. Get rid of the Hatred and Fear. Anybody can shoot and kill, but it is more rewarding to Love one another. In the words of John Lennon, All You Need Is Love! Give Peace a Chance!

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Janice C • Feb 18, 2015 at 07:12

HAMAS IS GIVEN MONEY FROM THE UNITED NATIONS. The failed UN had one charter and it was "World Peace." Now we see them as greedy thugs trying to justify their fat pensions by meddling and giving hard earned money from their membership ... including Christian Americans to pay terrorist like HAMAS to kill Christians. The UN needs to be shut down. They are thugs who deal in child slavery, illegal drugs and money laundering.

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Herman Janice C • Feb 19, 2015 at 23:12

Indeed we need to (e)mail on and on to both our political and religious 'leaders' and UN representatives and demand they take action and do what they are supposed to do: representing us, the people instead of their money pockets!

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YKB Janice C • Feb 21, 2015 at 10:21

Another foolish mistake by the fools that lead Hamas and their enablers.

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